*Extension Program Specialist-ipm; Professor and Extension

Turkestan cockroaches, 
Blatta lateralis, 
are 
becoming more common in Texas, especially in 
western parts of the state. Males and females look 
strikingly different (Fig. 6). The brownish yellow 
adult males are ½ to 7/8 inch long. The pronotum has 
a pale margin, as do the upper corners of the front 
wings. The female Turkestan cockroach is similar to 
the oriental cockroach—shiny, dark reddish brown 
with short wings. However, the outer bases of the 
wings are pale like the male Turkestan cockroach. 
Figure 2. Adult (a) and nymph (b) German cockroaches. 
The adult female in this picture carries an egg case 
(ootheca) that will produce 30 to 40 small nymphs.
a
b
Figure 3. Smokybrown cockroach adult (a) and large 
nymph (b).
a
b
Figure 6. Male (a) and female (b) adult Turkestan 
cockroaches. (Images by Robin McLeod.)
a
b
Figure 4. Very young smoky-
brown cockroach nymph.
Figure 5. The adult oriental 
cockroach is nearly jet black 
with short wings. (Image 
from Clemson University, 
bugwood.org
.)
German cockroaches are the most prolific of 
indoor cockroaches and can produce a generation 
in about 100 days. They are one of the most wide-
spread insect public health pests in urban homes, 
apartments, and restaurants. They transport germs and 
are associated with allergies and asthma. 
German cockroaches do not live outdoors in Texas. 
The Asian (
Blattella asahinai
) and field (
Blattella vaga
) 
cockroaches look very similar to German cockroaches 
and may be found outdoors in some areas of the state. 
Smokybrown cockroaches are also large. Adults 
reach 1¼ to 1½ inches long. They are dark brown to 
black and their wings extend beyond the abdomen in 
both sexes (Fig. 3a). Their antennae are as long as or 
longer than their bodies. Younger nymphs are black 
with two white bands on the body and white-tipped 
antennae (Fig. 4); older nymphs are uniformly reddish 
brown (Fig. 3b). 

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This species is native to Asia but was introduced 
to California and is expanding its range into Texas. 
It has become one of the most common outdoor 
cockroaches in El Paso, where it is found in com-
post, leaf litter, and potted plants; in expansion 
joints of sidewalks; and around water meter boxes.